Picture-perfect vantage points and jaw-dropping vertical
If you're aiming high, the Canadian Rockies are the place to be. Here, local ski resorts get you close to some of B.C.'s highest summits: 2,456 metres at Revelstoke Mountain Resort, 2,448 metres at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort and 2,400 metres at Panorama Mountain Village.
For skiers, lofty vantage points like these often translate to sweeping views with the rugged snow-clad Rockies Mountains providing a spectacular visual backdrop. David Lynn, president and CEO of the Canada West Ski Areas Association, sums up the region's best ski features as "excellent vertical, abundant snow and stunning views."
"There is some very diverse and exciting terrain offered in the Rockies," Lynn said. "Many of these ski areas are also known for consistent, abundant snowfalls. All of this results in numerous skiers and boarders being very passionate about these areas."
Revelstoke Mountain Resort (RMR) is B.C.'s newest ski resort, and it's situated in one of the province's snowiest, most legendary regions: the Selkirk Mountain Range. RMR offers North America's greatest vertical drop at 1,713 metres. In addition to excellent advanced and intermediate terrain, the resort also features plenty of variety, starting with beginner and family-friendly amenities. In fact, RMR is the only resort in the world to offer lift-, cat-skiing (Revelstoke Cat Skiing), heli-skiing (Selkirk Tangiers Heli Skiing) and backcountry skiing from one village base.
Regional ground transport connects Revelstoke to international airports in the cities of Kelowna and Kamloops. And a new bus service to and from Calgary has just made getting to this region even easier.
Kicking Horse Mountain Resort is located high in the Dogtooth Range of the Purcell Mountains, 14 kilometres above Golden. Surrounded by the towering peaks of two other mountain ranges – the Rockies and Selkirks – Kicking Horse Mountain Resort is known for unique terrain, stunning scenery and Eagle's Eye high-altitude dining experience. The resort boasts some of the highest vertical and the largest, most varied selection of ski-in/ski-out accommodation in the Canadian Rockies.
Kicking Horse offers daily transfers to and from Calgary International Airport, Banff and Lake Louise.
Panorama Mountain Village Resort is located 18 kilometres west of the town of Invermere in the Purcell Mountains and offers ski-in/ski-out accommodations in a picturesque mountain setting. This family-friendly resort has spacious skiing on 120 trails, great glades, the popular Taynton "backcountry in-bounds" bowl and Canada's largest slope-side hot pools. Cross-country skiers can access 20 kilometres of groomed trails.
Shuttle service to Panorama is available to and from Calgary International Airport or the Canadian Rockies International Airport in Cranbrook, B.C.
Only a short distance away from Panorama, the Fairmont Hot Springs Resort in the Columbia Valley offers skiers a different perk. Here, every ski lift pass includes a free entry to Canada's largest natural hot mineral pools.